Connor

“I recently received and accepted an offer to work for a venture capital group in Boston. I was in the process of interviewing for another 2 jobs I found on Doostang but immediately jumped on this offer with a great, young group back home.

I am a graduating senior from Villanova University and the on campus recruiting here is quite limited and quickly dwindles down by the end of the fall.

Doostang provided a constant stream of new job postings in much more relevant and interesting fields and was able to offer these quality positions in many cities across the country.

One of the biggest drawbacks to solely relying on campus recruiting is the limited types of positions (Villanova is BIG on accounting and operations jobs) and limited geographic options (heavy NYC, Philadelphia, NJ based companies).

Doostang has a very strong reputation amongst companies in the San Francisco and NYC area and my other 2 jobs I was interviewing for were in the San Francisco/Palo Alto area.

I was very pleased with the quality and frequency of jobs found on Doostang. The interface and web page set up was very user friendly and made tracking and submitting applications (with resumes, cover letters, messages) a breeze.”

Doostang has thousands of highly sought after positions at companies like Google, Goldman Sachs, Bain Capital, Kohlberg Kravis & Roberts, Summit Partners, Time Warner, Facebook, and more. Looking to get ahead in your job search? Be the first to apply to these exceptional NEW jobs just posted on Doostang.

While you can spend countless hours preparing polished answers, learning how to make great eye contact, and putting together a stellar outfit, one part of the interview that you don’t have total control over is the human element. For better or for worse, much of what determines whether or not you’ll get the job is how you connected with your interviewer. If that person doesn’t like you on a personal level, you probably won’t land the position, even if you’re extremely qualified. That said, here are a few things you can do to make a great first impression:

Use Humor Sparingly

There’s no question that a little bit of humor can ease the tension and make the entire interview seem more comfortable. But if your interviewer shoots you down with a stern look or a reprimand, your attempt at joking around can turn into a total buzz kill. The best policy is to stick to something lighthearted that won’t offend someone on any level – after all, you probably know nothing about the person sitting across from you, and therefore you have no way of knowing what types of remarks they would consider to be in bad taste.

Wear Deodorant

This one is common sense. It’s important that you don’t sweat or smell in an interview, otherwise the interviewer will probably rush you out the door in order that they can breathe again. Make sure to wear something that isn’t too stifling and try not to offer up a wet handshake. And while it’s crucial to ensure that you don’t smell bad, on the flip side, you don’t want to drench yourself in a perfume that the interviewer will choke on. Use perfumes and bath products sparingly, since, once again, you don’t know if your interviewer is allergic to – or can’t stand – a certain odor.

Don’t Be Too Demanding

It’s important to inform the interviewer of your job needs during the conversation, and this should come up naturally. However, don’t get too carried away with making demands about your hours, salary, or office environment. If you start laying down the law about needing a completely silent work area or a desk next to the window, the interviewer may simply move on to the next candidate who is much easier to handle.

Don’t Be Overly Enthusiastic

It’s important to show excitement for the job in an interview, but if you go through the entire conversation with a giant smile plastered on your face, you’ll come across as too intense, insincere, or downright weird. You’re interviewing for a job, so try to be serious too.

Don’t Go Overboard with Questions

At some point during the interview, you’ll have the chance to ask a few of your own questions. It’s crucial to have at least one or two of them ready, and these should be intelligent and relevant. However, keep in mind that if you start barraging the interviewer with queries – especially if you’re simply asking these to prolong face time – you’ll probably get on the other person’s nerves. Asking too many questions can hurt you just as much as not asking any.

Knowing how to behave in an interview is a tricky matter – you want to go in and out with a bang, so that you stand out amidst the other candidates; but you don’t want to go so over-the-top that you offend or annoy. Probably the best thing to keep in mind is that a job interview is about selling yourself to a company in a professional manner, and that the time to express your individuality and let down your guard will come later.

Leanne

NYU, 2010

“All things considered, graduating with a master of science in real estate finance should be concerning these days. The exception is when you receive multiple emails notifying you that an employer has downloaded your resume and shortly thereafter calls to request an interview. This was the case for me, and I cannot thank Doostang enough for facilitating this.

In my experience, Doostang provided job listings from quality employers who were serious about hiring.

This was a refreshing change to the many company websites which display job listings out of protocol but already have candidates teed up for the particular positions listed.

Doostang offered a way for me to differentiate myself amongst other candidates, whereas my university’s career website was bombarded with candidates just like me.

Doostang is not your monster.com, it is a very sophisticated, niche product that is tailored to well-educated and ambitious applicants in their 20s.

Being successful at work is about more than just your own personal achievements at a company – it’s about working well together with others. After all, this is how you contribute to the success of a company, which is the whole reason you are there. And being a team player at work is about more than just collaborating on projects (this is, after all, your job), it’s also about your attitude and the gestures you make to convey that you’re a part of the team. Integrate a few of the following pointers into your routine in order to collaborate more with your fellow workers.

Volunteer for Projects

There are always those projects that will come up at work that require a few more helping hands. So even if said project doesn’t exactly fall under your job description, offer to help out if the team needs some extra manpower. You’ll really help out your coworkers, people will appreciate your efforts, and you might learn something new that can help you out in your own work.

Offer to Help a Coworker

If you sense that a coworker is falling behind on their work or that they’re going to be staying late that evening working on a big project, ask them if there’s anything you can do to lighten the load. It’s often better for the company if the project is finished more quickly, and you may help that coworker catch something that they might have missed in the anxiety of tackling such a large task in the first place.

Go to Lunch

Some people like to use their lunch breaks as a chance to run errands, catch up on emails or phone calls, or get away from the office for an hour; but make it a point at least once a week or a few times a month to sit down and talk with your coworkers over a meal. You may find that the peers who are high-strung throughout the rest of the day are really neat people during their down time when they aren’t thinking of the work at hand.

Take Part in Company Activities

Whether it’s a potluck, a birthday celebration, or an office contest, try to get involved in company activities when these come up. If your office is part of a recreational softball league but you just aren’t athletic, show your support by cheering on your coworkers from the stands. Taking part in the extracurricular activities of your office makes work more enjoyable for you, as well as endears you more to your coworkers, who may work more productively with you as a result.

Not everyone is a natural socialite, but even if you are shy or new to the company, there are still ways to be a team player. Ultimately, your coworkers will appreciate your efforts, and will reach out to you more as a result.

Doostang has thousands of highly sought after positions at companies like Google, Goldman Sachs, Bain Capital, Kohlberg Kravis & Roberts, Summit Partners, Time Warner, Facebook, and more. Looking to get ahead in your job search? Be the first to apply to these exceptional NEW jobs just posted on Doostang.